“It’s time to play!”- Views on Curse of Chucky (2013)

Originally for my 100th blog post I was going to write about Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein (1994). I recently saw 5th sequel to the Child’s Play franchise and just wanted to blog about it more. So for my official 100th post, may I present my views on Curse of Chucky.

Horror fans, we’re a devoted and passionate bunch of film fanatics, particularly when it comes to horror franchises. We either love the follow-ups more than the originals or we absolutely hate the fact they’ve made another one – yet we complain when they remake said original, wishing for the sequel’s we once hated. This might sound like I’m generalising the horror fan community (I really don’t mean to) but tell me if I’m wrong after reading some replies from different horror forums.

Although they have varied in quality over the years, the Child’s Play films have always been one of the more interesting horror franchises. In particular I’ve found Part 2 and Bride of Chucky to be the most enjoyable entries – 2 still has the best finale of the series (come on its amazing and bizarre).

So when I finally sat down to watch Curse I knew it would be at least half-way enjoyable, I just didn’t know how much fun it would actually be. Turns out this is one of the franchises best entries (again written and directed by series creator Don Mancini), I’ll go so far as to say that this is one of the best horror sequels I’ve probably ever seen – in all honesty nothing is going to beat Nightmare 3.

Curse had so many great aspects that I could wax lyrical about for hours, but I’ll keep it to just these few (easy to read) paragraphs. For starters its back to basics with this instalment, gone is the high joke count and back is single location setting. The casting of Brad Dourif’s daughter Fiona (as Nica) is a great call by Mancini – it’s been a while since I’ve rooted for a horror heroine as good as Nica.

Also by setting the action in one prominent location it actually works brilliantly (especially for its limited budget) when coupled with Michael Marshall’s eerily beautiful cinematography – how did this not get a theatrical release?

Then there is the little sly horror nods and winks to the audience with specific shots and (on more than one occasion) musical cues. I swear I heard rifts on the themes of both Suspiria and Psycho at various moments, as well as nods to 80s synth horror scores. This is a horror film made by a horror fan which doesn’t feel too kitsch nor overly clichéd. Admittedly it’s not the most original film at times but why should that make it any less fun?

Mancini should also be applauded for his ability (as a writer and director) to tie all of the films in the series (yes even Seed of Chucky is referenced) into a neat bow. Too often sequels become convoluted and incomprehensible, but it’s a testament to Mancini’s imagination and creativity that he’s come up with something truly out of the blue. If you guessed all the twists before the end of the film, I think you’d be lying.

Finally there is the moments of gore, some of which genuinely surprised and shocked me. A few of the deaths were brilliantly violent – the knife to the eye and axe moments are particular highlights, both of which had me giggling with horror joy.

At the end of the day I thought this was a genuinely brilliant sequel (considering its Part 6) and look forward to watching it again soon, possibly in a back to back marathon. If you dislike any of the Child’s Play films, then this won’t change your mind, but fans of the series will find a lot to love about this sequel. I just hope Mancini and the Dourif’s get to make at least one more film, because this is a worthy Direct to Video sequel that’s better than most theatrical horror releases.

Have you seen Curse of Chucky? How did you find it and where does it rank on the sequel scale? Comment below.